Smart grid meets smart plug

Posted February 17, 2011 - 11:55
by
Pete Danko, EarthTechling

ThinkEco has been marketing the Modlet as a standalone product to help reduce energy waste, but with various smart-grid and home energy management tools on their way it's not surprising to see the company looking for ways to make sure their product continues to fit in.

Case in point: An announcement that ThinkEco has worked out a deal to integrate its smart plug into the Tendril Connect energy management platform.

The modlet - a smart plug with a web-based interface that will give users information about how a device plugged into it is using energy, and guide them to ways to trim energy use - will enter the picture on the demand side.

Using a specially developed, fully compatible Modlet, utilities using Tendril's platform "will be able to easily incorporate the user-friendly modlet as part of their customer offering to eliminate plug-load costs," ThinkEco said.

According to ThinkEco, the Modlet will become the first third-party piece of hardware resold by Tendril.

ThinkEco claims its $50 Modlet can save users at least 10 percent off their electricity bill by saving plug-load waste, suggesting the device could quickly pay for itself.